Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS)

Name Description Data sources Responsible organisation(s) Measure methodology last updated
People with diabetes admitted to hospital with hypoglycaemia

This indicator shows the number and percent of people with diabetes who are admitted to hospital with hypoglycaemia as the primary diagnosis one or more times in the relevant year.

Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection, Virtual Diabetes Register (VDR) Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora June 2024
People with diabetes aged 25 years or over regularly receiving an ACEI or ARB in the relevant year

This indicator shows the number and percent of people with diabetes receiving angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) in three or four quarters in the relevant year

Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection, Virtual Diabetes Register (VDR) Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora June 2024
People regularly dispensed a short-acting beta agonist (SABA) and not regularly dispensed preventer during the year

This measure details the percentage of PHO-enrolled population aged 5-44 years who are dispensed a short-acting beta-agonist (SABA)  in at least two quarters in a year and were not dispensed preventer in two or more quarters in the same year. 

Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora September 2025
People regularly dispensed a short-acting beta agonist (SABA) who were not dispensed preventer during the year

People aged 5–44 regularly dispensed a short-acting beta agonist (SABA) who were not dispensed preventer anytime during the year, among PHO enrolled population. This indicator shows the number and percent of people who were dispensed SABA in at least two quarters in a year and not dispensed preventer in the same year. 

Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora September 2025
People not dispensed ICS regularly in the year after admission

This indicator shows the number and percent of people aged 5 –44 years who were not regularly dispensed ICS in the four quarters after discharge for an admission with a primary diagnosis of asthma. Regular dispensing was defined as dispensing in two or more quarters in the year post discharge. This was calculated using the date of discharge and dividing the following 365 days into four quarters.  

National Minimum Dataset (NMDS), Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), PHO Enrolment Collection Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora September 2025
PHO enrolled population not given a funded influenza vaccine in the year after admission

People admitted in the previous year with a primary diagnosis of asthma (or wheeze for children; see denominator for codes) who did not receive a funded influenza vaccine in the year following discharge.

National Minimum Dataset (NMDS), Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS) Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora September 2025
People dispensed an antibiotic specifically indicated for urinary tract infections, rate per 100 This measure details the rate per 100 of people dispensed an antibiotic specifically indicated for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim are recommended as first-line treatment for UTIs. Norfloxacin is second-line treatment. The rationale for this measure is to explore the use of antibiotics for UTIs, with a view to identifying whether there are areas of high use of these antibiotics. Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), PHO Enrolment Collection, Ministry of Health Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora
People in ARC dispensed an antibiotic specifically indicated for UTIs, rate per 100 This measure details the rate per 100 of people listed in ARC dispensed an antibiotic specifically indicated for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim are recommended as first-line treatment for UTIs. Norfloxacin is second-line treatment. The rationale for this measure is to explore the use of antibiotics for UTIs, with a view identifying whether there are areas of high use of these antibiotics. Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), PHO Enrolment Collection, Ministry of Health Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora
People dispensed a topical antibiotic in a year, rate per 100 This measure details the rate per 100 people dispensed a topical antibiotic in a year. Topical antibiotics have few indications while good skin hygiene and topical antiseptics such as hydrogen peroxide or povidone iodine are recommended for treating localised or minor skin infections, including impetigo. In Aotearoa New Zealand, increasing use of topical fusidic acid has occurred concurrently with increasing fusidic acid resistance. For this reason,  it is recommended that the use of topical antibiotics is limited. Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), PHO Enrolment Collection,  Ministry of Health Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora
Surgical hospital admissions with an antibiotic dispensed within 30 days of discharge, rate per 100 This measure details the rate per 100 of surgical hospital admission with an antibiotic dispensed within 30 days of discharge. It is recommended that, along with good infection control, antibiotics be prescribed only when needed, with the narrowest spectrum of antimicrobial activity. It is not best practice for antibiotics to be administered routinely postoperatively. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends antibiotics be used only in cases where infection is clinically evident. Previous research in Aotearoa New Zealand concluded a significant proportion of antibiotics dispensed in patients discharged following surgery was inappropriate and recommended enhanced antimicrobial stewardship in this area. Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), National Minimum Dataset (NMDS), Ministry of Health Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora